The latest box office weekend witnessed a resounding victory for anime, as Sony’s Crunchyroll’s “Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc” debuted at No. 1. The film, a sequel to the immensely popular manga TV series, garnered an impressive $17.2 million from 3,003 theaters across North America, signaling a continued surge in anime’s theatrical presence. This success follows Crunchyroll’s previous sleeper hit, “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle,” which set a genre record with its $70 million debut. Industry analysts confirm that anime is now a “worldwide phenomenon,” achieving significant success globally.

“Chainsaw Man” managed to outperform several anticipated releases, including Disney and 20th Century’s musical biopic “Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere,” Paramount’s romantic drama “Regretting You,” and Universal and Blumhouse’s reigning champion “Black Phone 2.” The film attracted a distinct audience, with nearly 75% of opening weekend crowds being male and 50% under the age of 25. This demographic enthusiastically awarded the film an “A” on CinemaScore exit polls, the highest grade among the top five releases. Available in subtitled and dubbed versions, and playing on premium large formats like Imax, “Chainsaw Man” has already accumulated $108 million worldwide, propelled by a robust international run, demonstrating strong global appeal despite the genre’s tendency for front-loaded domestic box office performance.

In other significant box office news, “Black Phone 2” slid to second place, securing $13 million from 3,460 theaters. This represented a 52% decline from its domestic debut, yet the horror sequel has amassed $48 million in North America and $80.4 million globally. This performance marks a much-needed win for Blumhouse, which has faced a challenging theatrical year. Meanwhile, “Regretting You,” an adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s best-selling novel, opened in third place with a better-than-expected $12.8 million from 3,393 venues. The film, costing a modest $30 million and primarily attracting a female audience (80%), received a “B” CinemaScore. Following the breakout success of Hoover’s “It Ends With Us” ($344 million worldwide), “Regretting You” further solidifies her status as a major cinematic force, with future adaptations like “Verity” and “Reminders of Him” planned for 2026.

Conversely, “Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere,” starring Jeremy Allen White as Bruce Springsteen, underperformed at No. 4, bringing in $9.1 million from 3,460 locations. The biopic, which cost $55 million, struggled internationally with $7 million, culminating in a soft global tally of $16.1 million. While critics were mixed (61% Rotten Tomatoes), audiences gave it a “B+” CinemaScore. Director Scott Cooper’s film takes an unconventional approach, chronicling the writing of Springsteen’s critically adored, yet less commercially successful, 1982 acoustic album “Nebraska,” rather than focusing on his mainstream rise or biggest hits. This contrasts with previous music biopics like “A Complete Unknown,” which fared better with an $11.6 million opening. Experts note that Springsteen’s non-controversial public persona and music not tied to a social movement contributed to a “smaller story” compared to commercial hits like “Bohemian Rhapsody” or “Rocketman.”

Rounding out the top five, Disney’s sci-fi tentpole “Tron: Ares” continued its disappointing run, earning $4.7 million in its third outing from 2,940 venues. With a hefty $180 million price tag, the film has only generated $63 million domestically and $123 million worldwide to date, indicating a significant commercial shortfall. Other new releases included Neon’s supernatural thriller “Shelby Oaks,” which debuted at No. 7 with $2.3 million from 1,823 locations. Following a fictional YouTube star’s disappearance, the film received a “C+” CinemaScore, a typical grade for the horror genre but one that raises concerns for strong word-of-mouth. In limited release, Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone’s latest collaboration, “Bugonia,” saw a strong start, taking in $690,000 from just 17 locations, averaging an impressive $40,588 per venue. The film, about a high-powered CEO kidnapped by conspiracy theorists who believe she is an extraterrestrial, is set for a nationwide expansion next weekend.

Overall, the box office struggled this weekend, with domestic revenues down 22% compared to the same frame in 2024, when “Venom: The Last Dance” opened to $51 million. Although year-to-date domestic revenues are hovering 4% above last year, the box office is still pacing approximately 20% below pre-pandemic levels. Attendance is expected to remain lighter until a slate of major holiday releases arrive, including Universal’s “Wicked: For Good” (Nov. 21), Disney’s “Zootopia 2” (Nov. 26), and James Cameron’s “Avatar: Fire and Ash” (Dec. 19). Comscore’s head of marketplace trends, Paul Dergarabedian, noted that October has fallen short of last year’s comparable timeframe, emphasizing that “patience will be a virtue as the industry awaits the holiday season,” which is anticipated to power solid momentum into December.